If you think the opioid crisis does not affect you or your business, think again. A study was published on March 27, 2018 by the American Action Forum looking at just the effects of opioid use in the labor market and the economy. The Result: The loss of employees and their productivity between 1999 and 2015 cost the U.S. economy $702 billion, or just under $44 billion per year, the study calculated. In order for business to stay in business this cost is passed on to consumers in the pricing of products and services or tax dollars. We are all pay for addiction somewhere. These figures do not even take into account the economic impact of theft due to addiction, healthcare related costs or the cost of drug related crime.